Tuesday, September 15, 2009

SFINCIUNI, PALERMO STYLE

What is this? Sfinciuni means "old woman's face" in Sicilian, probably because the finished bread looks wrinkled. The sfincione is flat soft bread with few condiments. It smells of fresh bread, onions, tomato, anchovies, cheese and toasted breadcrumbs. It goes back in time to before the Greeks controlled Sicily. The sfincione was plain bread that working people would take to work. One of my favorite things. I could eat an entire pan of it by myself. Pizza does not come even close to this flavor so don't think it will.

Bagheria Style is considered the sfincione more similar to the original recipe. It is made with olive oil, anchovies, primosale, a fresh cheese and breadcrumbs mixed with grated pecorino, chopped scallions and oregano.

Sfincione alla Palermitana for one.

_______________________________________DOUGH

Mix country white for the bread machine. Use the 120 minute dough cycle. As soon as it is mixed and goes off, take out the dough and work it for a minute on a floored board. (Or make your own pizza dough)

Oil bowl. Place the dough in it. Turn so the oil side is up. Cover with wet cloth. Place in warm place. (Oven with light on.) Wait till it doubles. (1 hour?) Push down. Take out and place on OILED oblong cake pan. Spread. Cover with wet cloth. Let rise again. When it is doubled again, it is ready for the sauce and topping.

Cool it for several minutes.Spread sauce over dough. NOTE: If your fresh roma tomatoes were not so good like mine were today, you can add a big tablespoon of tomato paste. Tomato sauce will work too. There should be a mild red color in the topping. Not like a real tomato sauce.

DO NOT OVERCOOK.

Use a spoon so you don’t compress the raised dough.

Gently place spoonfuls around the dough. Take care not to put too much oil on it.

*******************TOPPING***************

1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs

( I use them.) or grated cheese,or BOTH.

Olive oil A few tablespoons. (anchovies come in it usually)

Freshly ground black pepper (optional)Spread evenly over dough on top of the chopped tomatoes etc….

1 comment:

Here I am telling you I somehow goofed recently on this recipe. I think I had an old bread machine mix and it just did not come out well. So beware. Make your own dough or make sure you have a fresh bread mix box.

I was so bummed. It takes time to make it and it was very fair. I would not even give it out to friends.

Nana

Post a comment.
I have been away hiking and doing fun things. I moved in August and that has taken the stuffing out of my cooking time. I find I am too tired to cook so I do take out way too much. Oh well, I won't do that forever. I have a wonderful kitchen now with all granite counters which I wish I did not have. But that is what sells now. If I have to replace them, I will go back to tile. Miss my white tile where you can actually see if it needs cleaning. Granite is a touch me to find food stuck on it. Bummer.
italianfoodienana@gmail.com